Projectile.



C. A. MEILICKE.

PRQJECULE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 22 I9I8.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

,a a R @M CARL A. MEILICKE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

YROJECTILE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patent-eli Jan. 7, 1919.

Application lerd April 22, 1918. Serial No. 229,921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL A. MEILIGKE, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to vprojectiles for large guns.

. One of the objects of my invention is to provide a new and improved projectile whereby to increase the eifective range, accuracy and destructive execution of/large guns, without changing or modifying the The range of large guns discharging a single projectile has about reached the extent of their possible capability. The steel of which said guns is made is now taxed to a dangerous limit, so that a larger quantity of explosive, or more powerful explosive to attain a greater muzzle-velocity is not4 available. i

Increase in the bore of the gun `to contain a larger quantity of the explosive, and the diametric area of the missile to increase the effective pressure is practically counterbalanced by the increase of skin y*friction of the large missile in its passage through the air, due to its accommodation enlargement for the increased diameter of the bore.

In carrying my invention into eii'ect I provide a projectile comprising a series of self propelling, inclosed missiles, each inclosed missile having its own charge to be exp at a predetermined time afterithe major missile leaves the muzzle of the gun and-at intervals thereafter.

The outside shell, of the major missile, its the bore of the gun and it, with its contained minor missiles, is projected from the gun by the initial explosion of a charge within l the gun. Within the maj ormissile the smaller missiles are telescopically arranged. rIhe concussion produced by the primary explosion ignites a time fuse for the charge of the missile next in size. At a predetermined distance from the n, this secondary charge will eject the smal er missiles from the outer shell of the projectile and thus accelerate the velocity of the smaller missiles. The concu-ssivel effect of the secondary charge will light the time fuse for exploding the tertiary charge at a given time, thus'further the speed of` the discharged ollowing each explosion and acceleratin missiles loded greatly increasing the distance range of the projectile.

In the accompanyin drawings I have shown a single embodlment of my invention f or the purpose Y of clear disclosure, where1n Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the projectile showing two minor missiles contained in the outer shell.

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show the missiles separated.

5 shows aside elevation of the projectile wlth the missiles assembled, as they would appear when leaving the gun.

F1g. 6 is an elevation of a crushable washer looking with the arrows on line 6-6 0f Fig. 1.

In all' the views the same reference characters are employed to, indicate similar parts. f

The' outer shell 10 of the projectile or larger mlssile is su posed to fit the bore of the un. Surroun 'ng the breech itis pro- In the breech block 14, a hollow plug 18 I is screwed. This chamber contains a coiled time-fuse 19. It is coiled so as to accommodate a greater or less quantity of fuse, in accordance with the time interval between which the charges are to be fired.

The secondary missile 2O or the next in size, has a rifle ring 21, and it is internally riied from the point 22 to its open end 23. It also has a breech block 24, threaded, as at 25, and an inte al cylindrical part 26 extending forwar y and afording an abutment for the next smaller missile. The charge 27 is exploded by the time fuse .29 within the chamber of the plug 28.

The smallest missile 30 is provided with other approved means for exploding -a charge, such foil example, as a detonating cap adapted to be tired by concussion or iinpact, as when the missile strikes a relatively stationary object, or by a means responsive to arrest the motion ofthe final missile, or,

if desired, it may be asolid shot'for pene- .trating armor, or the like.

Each of the missiles in theembodiment illustrated is providedA with a; time fuse, such as shown more clearly at the left of Fig. 1 and which operates in a similar manner. The chamber,` within the 'plug 18, is

to Ibe `filled with soap 40, 4or like material, which will prevent any possibility of electrostatic sparks vpassing from one part of the yfuse to the other or passing from the walls of the missile to the fuse and igniting it, causing premature r short time exploslon.

A. plunger or piston 34 is contained within a cylinder- 35 of the breech block. The plunger carries a, firing pin 36 whichis adapted to detonate the fuse-firing fulminate cap 37, in the end of which the fuse is contained, or in the near proximity of which` it may terminate. j 4.

The pin is maintained out .of contact with the cap by a perforate crushable washer 39. The pin passes through the central perforation of the washer and is adapted to engage the cap. A plate 41 of fragile material is' 17 should be ignited when long distance shots are being fired, just about the time when the projectile has turned, or is about to turn, .the knee of the curve in the trajectory 0f' its flight. This will eject the missile andthe containedmissile 30, and accelerate their rotative and projective velocity. The firing of the charge 17 will ignite the time fuse 29 in the same marmer and, at a selected time, the charge 27 will be ignited, thereby ej ecting the missile from the inissile 20 and increasing its rotative and projective velocity.

` When the missiles 20 and 30 leave their respective associated positions, they are given greater rotativefelfect by-the rifles of' the shell within which they were contained L and 'from which they are projected, or in other words, the succeeding explosions augment the energetic activity contributed to them by the eect of the explosion of-the'initial charge within the gun from which they were projected.. Thus a relay eiect is produced by firing successive charges at proper time intervals thereby urging a' smaller projectiie, or unit, or" the projectile, to its nnai f vsixteen inch, one ten inch, one-seven inch,

one four and half inch, one three inch, and gne two inches in diameter, with corresponding advantages.

Guns of the present type could be fired, with my relay projectile at much lower angles with comparatively straight trajectorles, whlch would greatly increase their accuracy and destructive efliciency.

Assuming, for example, that one 0f my slxteen inch projectiles were ired from 'a gun. ten inch relay projectile fired from this: slxteen inch shell shortly afterward would attain 1200 f. s. velocity to be added te the initial velocity 0fv the composite projectlles and the outer shell `will be dropped or shed from those that are progressing 'forwardly, and if the third, say a seven inch projectile were fired from the first relay projectile an additional velocity of 800 to 1200 f. s. could be added so that if we started with a velocity of 2500 f s. and added to Ythis 2000 f. s., the seven inch projectile would attain the enormous velocity of 4500 .f. s. which is almost double the velocity possible from firing a single projectile from modern uns. This enormous velocity if fired from e ground level, would land the'linal or ultimate projectile, which is the smallest of the series, 75 miles distance from the gun. A seven inch projectile with a 4500 f. s. velocity would have a terrible destructive eiect and would, if fired at a low angle, for example, from 5 to 15 degrees, have a very straight trajectory and reach its objective mark at approximately 30 miles distant. Compared with modern guns and the ordinary Well known projectiles which hardly reach 25 miles even though the projectile is fired at an angle 0f 45 degrees, this is a remarkable accomplishment. While I have herein shown a single embodiment of my invention, for the purpose of ciear disclosure, it is manifest that many 'changes in the general arrangement and configuration of the parts may be made, wlthin the scope 'of the appended claims,

wand that the invention 1s susceptible of modifications with respect to the number of projectiles or sub-projectiles that may be contained in the major shell forming a part thereof. l

Having described ymy invention, what I claim is h 1. A projectile including an outer shell having a, bore and internally riied for a porcharge, a time tion 'of the length thereof, a breech block I Y breech block.

ZA' projectile including an outer shell havingV a bore and internally rifled for a portion of the length thereof, a breech block removably inserted in the breech end of the shell, said breech block having an elongated cylindrical part containing an explosive charge, a time fuse construction removalbly mounted in said breech block and a firing pin in said breech block to ignite said fuse when the initial charge in the un is exploded, a second shell fitting Within the rifle part of said irst shell with its breech end engaging the end of the cylindrical part of the breech block, said second shell having a bore and internally rifled, a breech block removably inserted in the breech end of said second shell, said breech block having an elongated cylindrical part containing an explosive charge, a time fuse construction removably mounted in said breech block and a iring pin in said breech block to ignite said fuse .when the charge in the first mentioned shell is exploded, and another shell fitting Within the rifle part of the bore of said second shell with its breech end engaging the end of the cylindrical part of the breech block of the second shell. E

3. A projectile includan outer shell, having a bore and interna y 'riied for part of the length of said bore, a breech block construction screwed into the breech end of said shell and having an elongated cylindrical part adapted to contain an explosive charge, a time fuse construction mounted in the breech block and adapted to be ignited by the explosion of the charge of the gun,

and a second shell mounted in the bore of Y Said first shell and having its breech end engaging the end of the cylindrical part of the breech block.

4:. A projectile including an outer shell, having a bore and internally riied for part of the length of saidbore, a breech block construction screwed into the breech end of said shell and having an elongated cylindrical part adapted to contain an explosive charge, a time fuse construction mounted in the breech blockV and adapted to be ignited by the explosion of the charge of the gun, and a second shell mounted in the bore of Asaid first shell and having its breech end engaging the end of the cylindrical part of the breech block, said second shell also having a charge and a time fuse construction adapted to ignite the charge from the explosion of the charge in saidfirst mentioned shell.

I n testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand.

CARL A. MEILICKE. 

